Gurjars agree to call off agitation

JAIPUR: Gurjar leaders called off their agitation on Monday evening following an agreement reached between the Rajasthan government and the community delegation at the fifth and final round of dialogue. The week-long agitation claimed at least 26 lives and leaving around 400 injured.

According to the agreement, thrashed out during a five-hour meeting here, the state government would constitute a three-member high-power committee headed by a retd high court judge to examine the demands of the Gurjar community within the framework of Constitution of India.

This committee will have two other members. The member secretary of the committee would be an expert on tribal issues. The committee would be submitting its report to the state government within three months after studying memorandum and documents submitted by the Gurjar community from time to time. It would review the demands according to the guidelines given by the Union government on providing scheduled tribe status to various communities.

After the meeting, the chief minister Vasundhara Raje told mediapersons that the meeting was held in an amicable and cordial atmosphere with the common objective of ending the deadlock.

She announced that the family members of all the persons killed during the agitation would be given a compensation of Rs five lakh each while the kin of the two policemen died would be given an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh each.

The Gurjar Arakshan Samiti led by Col Kirori Singh Bhainsla, speaking to reporters, apologised for the loss of human lives and property due to the agitation. “I owe an apology to the nation for the hardship that people faced because of our agitation. But I am very happy that the agitation ended with an amicable settlement with the state government.

We got all that we wanted. We are satisfied with the results of the talk. This would pave the way for reservation to the Gurjar community. I express by condolence to all those person who died during the agitation,” said Col Bhainsla.

Principal secretary home V S Singh said it would take 10-12 hours to restore the services hampered for seven days o to violent agitation.

However, sources in the state BJP said this settlement was not looked upon as the final solution to the Gurjars’ demands. “Government has only bought time from the Gurjar leaders. Since Gurjars don’t comply with the criteria needed for the inclusion in ST category, the government would not be able to change its social status.”

In 1981, during the Congress chief minister Shive Charan Mathu, similar demands were made by the community. But the government sent an adverse report on their criteria for awarding the ST status.